Fate Knocks at the Door eBook

She saw that he slept, and her head dropped forward
until it touched the edge of his bed, but very softly....
And there, for a long time, she remained, until the
woven cane left a white impress upon her forehead.

Late in the afternoon the others met below, but Bedient
had not awakened. Miss Mallory joined them and
told what she had done, and how ill he had been for
need of rest.... When the day was ending she stole
through the little room into his. Still he slept,
so softly, that she bent close to hear his breathing....
All the furious moments of action in recent days passed
in swift review, as she stood there in the dark.
And from it all came this:

“It is a good thing for a woman to serve a man,
with hand and brain,—­as one man might serve
another—­and there’s high joy in it;
but a woman must not serve a man that way—­if
she’d rather have his love than hope of heaven.”

... And when he awakened, she was still
beside him.

THIRTY-THIRD CHAPTER

THE HILLS AND THE SKIES

Varied were the emotions of Dictator Jaffier and Coral
City generally, while Bedient slept through that long
day of surpassing fortune to the Island. He communicated
certain facts to the Dictator next morning, and a
day later, the government forces entered and took possession
of The Pleiad without firing a shot.

It did not transpire at this time that the vast inflation
of war-sentiment in Equatoria was pricked with a knife,
so small that a woman could conceal it in her hair.

Bedient intervened between Jaffier and Senora Rey,
and upon the latter a substantial settlement was made,
as well as a generous annuity. Within three days,
the Glow-worm had left Coral City for an Antillean
port, to connect with a South American steamer.
The Sorensons and one Chinese accompanied her.
The Glow-worm shone as one lavishly rich, but trembled
with fears which she dared not express, until Equatoria
should sink from her horizon.

Jaffier’s gunboat, which had followed the Savonarola
on principle and deserted for the unlit tramp, drove
this latter destiny-maker through the coral passage
in daylight, and around to the harbor, amid the subdued
rejoicing of the Defenders. Subdued, because the
Defenders were jerky with fear of a trick, even with
the guns and ammunition safely stored in the Capitol—­until
the message from Bedient to Jaffier made certain mysterious
issues clear.

The Pleiad guests were not summarily routed,
but the force of law, and the flood of light, suddenly
turned upon every corner of this establishment, destroyed
the atmosphere for crime and concupiscence. The
paintings and various beautiful collections of the
late art-lover-and-patron, were gathered together
in one of the great wings of the establishment, and
opened to the people. The magnificent grounds
became a public park.